Loving your Rental

living in a rental does not mean you have to scrimp on style! What I hope to bring you periodically are some inspirational stories and ideas that have you "loving your rental", because I know I am not alone!

Thanks to Donna for encouraging me to embrace my home and to talk about the ups and downs of renting.

Even Jen from Made By Girl has been embracing the rental life after moving across the US to rent a fabulous apartment in New York City. She has started a series featuring renters and their apartments, a series I love.

The ups and downs of renting are:

Yay - to not having to pay for replacing the hot water tank, appliances, leaky pipes, etc when they go.

Nay - living cheap and tired carpet, an outdated kitchen and bathrooms, mismatched flooring, the list can go on...

To start this off I will give you a glimpse into our home.

I want to show you what a little paint and creativity can do to a space.

What my daughter's room looked like when we moved in.

Now...

So my hope is to bring you ideas to show you how you can add some pizazz in your home, even if you are renting, and to share other's stories, and whatever else may come my way!

22 comments

I can certainly relate! Do you have to repaint before you move out? We're not allowed to paint, so I guess if we do, we would have to return everything to the beige we have now. I've been able to work around it though, without really missing colour or wallpaper, but I do agree about dated fixtures and finishes that you're stuck with.

We rented for years and years and I always did all I could to make the places feel like my 'home'. I think it's a brilliant idea to do what you've done and, to be honest, there are so many times I think that I wish we were still renting, because the stress of every expense is so great! Longing for the days when we could just call the Landlord to fix things!

Been thinking about you and your recent situation....hoping all goes well. Been there a few times ourselves, so know the feelings.

Loving the concept for this new series Barbara!!! I purchased a condo a couple of years ago. I lived in it while I slowly overhauled each room. By the time I revealed the final room I had new plans, dreams and goals! I knew I couldn't go after these dreams while being tied to a mortgage payment, so after the 1.5 year live-in flip, I sold the condo and returned to renting!After having full reign in my condo's decor, I sometime's find it difficult being creatively confined by your landlord. Most days, however, I'm just plain relieved and thankful to be doing what I love and not having the responsibilities associated with owning something!!! Cheers ;)

oops, typos galore, second round:This is a great idea as many people, as of late, have been forced to leave their homes and start fresh in a rental . You truly have already made this space spectacular. I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with.Good on you for being resilient, resourceful and capable of moving forward. Inspiring.

I have no doubt in my mind that your house is the luckiest rental house in the entire world!! It will never be as happy once you move out into your dream house. Everywhere Barb goes, beauty isn't far behind. Have fun in Hawaii and grab a tan for me. I am looking forward to getting together when you come back.

I am really looking forward to this series, and can definitely relate to life in a rental. In a way it's a great challenge to be creative and resourceful in giving your rental the pulse and heart of a home. Knowing where to spend and where not to... This is going to be so much fun!

Oh mine.. .. how did I miss that gorgeous gold mirror after looking at this shot of your daughter's room over and over again!! love it! Bold black and white stripe is dramatic and perfect for a young lady!

This is a great idea to share tips on rental living. I'm in a rental condo right now and also have to deal with tired carpets, kitchen that is not my style, etc. It is actually a good way to force the creativity out of me! I agree, there are lots of ways to make it your home, no matter how long or not long you will be there. Look forward to more of this.

There is definitely some advantages to being a renter for sure. You have made that house into a gorgeous place to live and the landlord must absolutely love you. I think it's a great idea for a series because there are likely tons of renters reading blogs.